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Originally published by Kenneth Rapoza, contributor at Forbes.com on July, 2012. We believe important to share, don’t you?

If Forbes says its the right time, then IT MUST BE the right time to Invest in Our Paradise!

When strategists at big Brazilian investment firms like Itau steer their wealth management clients away from their home country and up north, to Mexico, it’s worth noting. Brazil is a big country. It’s got a diverse economy. But it’s no longer Latin America’s favorite growth story. It’s going to grow around 2 percent this year, worse than it did last year. It’s fortunes are tied to China, to some extent, an economy still facing a hardish soft landing and needing monetary stimulus.

Mexico, on the other hand, has the U.S., which is growing faster than Brazil this year. Plus, Mexico is cheaper now than China.

Mexico has that quality: the elegance of old time with the amenities of a first class destination.

When it comes to portfolio investment, Mexico is the clear winner this year. The iShares MSCI Mexico (EWW) exchange traded fund is up 14.09 percent year to date ending July 10 while the MSCI Emerging markets index is up only 0.7 percent. The iShares FTSE China (FXI) ETF is down 7 percent. iShares MSCI Brazil (EWZ) is down 11.3 percent. And last year’s fave, the Market Vectors Indonesia (IDX) is down 5.6 percent.

The return of the PRI to Mexican politics, Mexico’s pricing powers, and its proximity to the largest market in the world has Nomura Securities saying on Tuesday that over the next decade, Mexico is poised to become Latin America’s largest economy, surpassing Brazil, and become one of the emerging markets’ most dynamic economies.

The PRI party and Enrique Pena Nieto have regained the presidency and the Lower House. Unlike in previous elections, the party supports structural, pro-market, reforms.

In relative terms, the Mexican banking sector remains one of Latin America’s smallest, particularly relative to the level of economic development. So there is a lot of room to grow. Private sector debt to GDP is barely 20 percent versus an average of around 50 percent for Brazil and as high as almost 80 percent in Chile.

Mexico’s economy and its banks are likely to be supported and even accelerated by positive demographics, hitting a sweet spot in 2020. Current projections point not only to Mexico showing one of the strongest levels of population growth among major economies, but also the greatest fall in the dependency ratio (proportion of young/old relative to the working age population). This means a greater relative increase in resources and potentially stronger GDP growth. Some of the benefits of this demographic dividend would not be automatic, but will likely depend on appropriate policy action and reform, members of Nomura’s banking and emerging markets team said in a report on Mexican banks dated July 10.

Audrey Kaplan, a portfolio manager for the $523 million Federated InterContinental (RIMAX) fund, told Forbes recently that Mexico is one of Federated’s favorites.

“The economy has been doing well and that’s got a lot to do with the U.S. Two years ago people said the U.S. would go into a flat growth or no growth environment. It has not, and that’s been beneficial to Mexico,” she said. “Plus wage growth in Mexico is flat and it’s rising in China. We’ve had an overweight there since the fall of 2009. A number of our shares in Mexico are up 40 to 70 absolute percent change since we purchased them,” she said, citing America Movil (AMX) as a top buy for Federated.

Brazil probably doesn’t have that much to worry about. The year 2020 is a long way off. A lot can happen in 8 years.

Brazil’s attractiveness as a top destination for foreign-direct investment was taken over by Indonesia last year, however, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development said last week in an annual report.

Brazil is seen as the world’s No. 5 destination for foreign direct investment (FDI) over the next two years, UNCTAD said. Brazil used to be No. 4.

The top three “prospective host economies” for FDI were unchanged this year from 2011, with China holding the No. 1 spot, followed by the U.S. and India. Indonesia moved up two notches in the rankings to surpass Brazil at the No. 4 spot. UNCTAD’s figures are from a survey, not actual FDI numbers.

FDI to Brazil, which calculates what investors and corporations pump into a foreign economy, stands at around $45 billion, while Mexico FDI is not yet near $30 billion.

Owning a home is for many the culmination of a dream: to know that after the planning, saving and different options to choose from, your efforts are one step closer to reality.

Leaving aside the “dreamy” part, certain doubts arise: What is more convenient? Buying a house already built? Or should I find a lot and build upon my needs? What should I do?

Whether buying already built or building to your needs, it is important that your personal signature is visible in every corner of the house throughout art, colors and furniture… this is what ultimately turns a house, any house, into your home.

Here are some point to consider buying a ready built property:

1. Convenience. If you choose Mexico as your part-time lifestyle, consider choosing a house in our ready-built market and change/adapt it while you enjoy living on it.

2. Design. A house that has already been lived in was originally designed and thought for its owners, the new owners will need to adapt to the home or adapt the home to their needs; best option will always be whichever is more functional.

3. Cost efficient. Sometimes, remodeling a house or parts of a house that has most of the characteristics on your wish list can be a wise choice and mostly, it can be cost efficient.

4. Instant comfort. No matter what the original plan for owning your property was, if you choose an already built house, it must be comfortable for your everyday activities, functional to all its residents and must reflect your personality to truly make it home. This could be as simple as a paint job or as complex as a second-story addition.

5. Wow effect. Many homes are readily available for you to choose from; they may not be “exactly” what you were looking for but may have that that one aspect, that one wow factor worthy of your consideration. It could be the proximity to our beaches, markets, schools or workplace, or have that one perfect room worth transforming into a dream.

6. Green. If you are environmentally-friendly, the aspect of recycling a “used” house into your home promotes an important and respected benefit.

Buying a lot to build on.

The most important reason to build a house is to make it match one’s specific needs and desires, and if you aren’t finding what you want in the “ready built” market, building your own maybe the best option. Below are the pros of choosing your homesite to build on:

1. The future. As we grow older and evolve, our habits, customs and preferences deepen within our routine and our house must accommodate us, our family, friends and even pets. From small things such as which side of the bed is our favorite, if I want to wake with the first daylight, where we like to read, to relax, to enjoy a good movie… all these situations facilitate our routine, making our house an extension of our activities. It is the architect that must translate these feelings, needs and customs into a plan. His job is to interpret and sort out the technical and esthetics demands of the client.

2. Future savings. Another reason to build are the costs and saving one might have: when building a house, maintenance and improvements are not to be considered until years later; a new house should come with warranties and the utmost satisfaction of having everything brand new.

3. Location choice. You can decide on a flat lot, a gentle sloping terrain, an ocean or mountain view and if there are local materials to incorporate into the house to blend it perfectly with the surroundings.

4. Control. Most importantly, when building you will definitely know and control the quality of the materials for the final result. Although it can mean a considerate saving, ultimately it will depend on the finishes one chooses for the property.

Your Coldwell Banker Riveras Team of local real estate experts can assist you with either option! Whether you choose to explore the many houses available or the various lots or home sites, we will suggest the best options and direct you with renowned local architects that can help you and guide you throughout the planning of your choosing process, assuring you peace of mind.

This article was originally published by Cathy Brown on Escape From America Magazine‘s website, and we thought you might find it interesting as well:

In the last few months, I have had the good fortune to visit Mexico a couple of times. For a single mom whose family and friends have no problem with me romping around Buenos Aires, taking my young kids to the Amazon, or climbing mountains in Africa, I cannot say that I was sufficiently prepared for the distinct reaction I got when people heard I was going to Mexico:

“You are going where? But what about the cartels?”

“Wow. I wouldn’t go there even if someone paid me”.

“Pretty irresponsible to be going there. You’ re a mother – you shouldn’t be putting yourself into situations like that…”

To which my response was: “Have you ever been to Mexico? Oh, you haven’t… Well then, please at least tell me specifics as to what this violence is where I am going. What area is it in, and what specifically should I be on the lookout for?”

And, shocker…they have no idea. They just know it’s for sure really, really bad and I am totally going to get kidnapped/raped/shot/then probably beheaded for good measure.

“I can’t exactly sense the fear in my friend Fernando here, who recently visited Mexico for the first time.”

Let’s work off facts here, not just blatant, misguided, baseless fear. The US government advises against visiting very specific places where drug cartels are warring over the billions of dollars made yearly trading illegal substances into the United States, and the efforts by the Mexican government to put an end to the drug traffic. Problems come in when, after hearing “warning” and “Mexico,” all too many Americans perceive the advisory for the country as a whole, which it clearly is not. Leslie Bassett, Deputy Chief of Mission of the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City, declared that the intention of the alert is to inform people of some violent acts that are taking place in specific states of Mexico. She clarified that in no way does this alert seek to negatively portray the tourist destinations.

Mexico is roughly the size of Western Europe.Of Mexico’s 2,500 municipalities, only 18 have been considered to be a security problem. Please read that sentence again. Pretty sure that leaves you with a 2482 very safe options if you want to travel to Mexico. Yes, there are places in Mexico that have had problems with drug violence. But the majority of Mexico’s organized-crime killings last year took place in a mere three of Mexico’s 31 states: Chihuahua, Tamaulipas and Nuevo Leon. I am not here to dispute that there has been and is drug violence in Mexico. I am here to point out that those specific places are likely nowhere near where you as a tourist or expat are planning to go.

I would hope you would find it downright silly if you heard a Mexican saying that they would never, EVER, consider going hiking in Oregon nor go golfing at Myrtle Beach because they heard reports of there being drug-related gang violence in South Side LA. Well, you know what? Where you most likely would be going in Mexico is perhaps further from the violence, distance-wise, than Oregon is from LA. The bandits are not going to travel 800 miles to come after you, American tourist drinking margaritas on the beach or taking pictures at Chichen Itza. They actually don’t care about you, I am sorry to inform.

“Three problem areas to be avoided (Tijuana, Juarez, and Nuevo Loredo), and how far these places actually lie from main tourist areas.” Cathy Brown

Don’t be stupid. Don’t buy or sell drugs in Mexico. Don’t flash large amounts of money or jewelry. Don’t visit the specific border towns notorious for violence. That is a given. Use common sense and you will be as fine in Mexico as you would in most other tourist destinations around the world.

Let’s look at some actual statistics from the UN Office of Drugs and Crime: In drug offenses, Mexico recently ranked 12th in the world, and the US 4th. When it came to homocides with firearms, the US ranked 7thand Mexico 17th, (39.56 per 100,000 vs. Mexico’s 20.6). Yes, that means the US has 92% more homicides with guns than Mexico. So all of those people in the US telling you that you will get shot and killed in Mexico should be more worried about themselves.

Recent FBI statistics show the murder rate per 100,000 inhabitants in Baltimore is 43.3, Washington D.C. is 29.1 and Detroit is 47. Mexico, however, which suffered an especially violent year in 2008, recorded a murder rate of about 10 per 100,000. You do the math…

Travel writer Kyle Ellison put it perfectly when he said: “While I could rattle statistics off from a slew of different sources, the bottom line and the main point which needs to be made is that traveling to Mexico is no more dangerous than living in any major global city. Of the 60 countries I’ve wandered through and after 20+ visits to Mexico, you know where I’ve felt the most in danger (including when I thought I was kidnapped in Borneo)? When I got lost on the south side of Chicago.”

In the last couple of months, I have personally visited Mexico City, Queretaro, Puebla, Mazatlan, Baja, and Veracruz. I have had nothing except phenomenal experiences, met some of the warmest, most welcoming people, and not for one moment did I feel unsafe in any way. I have enjoyed scuba and snorkeling, I have rafted, climbed, and hiked to hidden waterfalls and caves. I have explored archeological ruins, I have seen gorgeous art and architecture, and I have eaten some of the most memorable meals of my life. To have missed out on any one of these experiences because of what I heard from some media outlet needing the next sensational story would be sad and senseless. I would travel to Mexico alone, and I would travel with my three small kids. No second thoughts on that whatsoever.

“There was a distinct lack of drug cartel activity as I recently snorkeled here on the very tranquilo Coronado Island in the Sea of Cortez…” Cathy Brown

Mexico ranks tenth as an international travel destination in the world and, regardless of the negative media hype, remains the number one international tourism destination for North Americans traveling abroad. Many tourists to the country are repeat visitors, which demonstrates that the vast majority of tourists are satisfied and leave with overwhelmingly positive impressions.

The Mexican government is expecting 2012 to be a good year for tourism. In fact, Mexico is expecting 52 million tourists to visit its five southern states – that compares to 22 million foreign visitors to all of Mexico in 2011.

If you choose to not visit Mexico in response to media hype, that is obviously your choice. But just know that there are millions of other Americans out there living life to the fullest and exploring an amazing country full of warmth, culture, natural beauty and history, right in the backyard of the US. I hate to say it, but if you sidestep Mexico due to fear, it is your loss. As Mark Twain put all so well, “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” Give Mexico a chance – I am willing to bet you may just end up falling in love with the country as so many other travelers and expats have.

Casa Corazón in Todos Santos is a warm and spacious home designed by a New Mexico architect crafted for comfort, creativity and desert lifestyle. Shaded courtyards and viewing decks extend the living space to the outdoors for expansive Ocean, Mountain and Desert views.

Spacious living room with built-in book shelves and garden views, adjacent to galley kitchen with long counter tops for prepping food, or displaying large prints and canvases offer the perfect creative and work environment. Spiral staircase to second story leads to master bedroom with built in office and reading area.

Full bath with Jacuzzi and shower, double vanity sinks, WC, and walk through closets with wooden shelving and drawers offer plenty of storage. Detached guesthouse with queen bed, day bed, and full bath offers comfortable guest accommodations.

The home is serviced by municipal electric, water, and also equipped with solar panels. Ideal location. Situated on ¾ acres, half block south of Camino International and less than 500 yards to the beach in the prime area of Las Tunas. Home is where the heart is, Casa Corazón.

Located approximately 1 hour north of Cabo San Lucas, the lovely and tranquil colonial pueblo of Todos Santos is situated around a beautiful palm oasis overlooking the Pacific. Some consider the miles and miles of open and undeveloped beaches found in this area to be the most beautiful in all of Baja. Additionally, Todos Santos is home to a thriving art colony and you can find many galleries in the colonial commercial district, as well as the gift shops, several gourmet restaurants, and of course the famous Hotel California. Surfing and hiking are also big attractions here as is the annual release of turtle hatchlings.

The town and its sister community to the south, Pescadero, offer many available residential propertieswith panoramic ocean and mountain views perfect for building one’s coastal dream oasis where there is lots of room to breathe. Additionally, there is a strong inventory of finished homes on large lots with a variety of views. Coldwell Banker Riveras representatives in this are are experienced, knowledgeable, bi-lingual, and ready to help you with your home, homesite or commercial purchases from beginning to closing of escrow.

I am so excited to enter the New year energized with excellent holiday season and the upcoming spectacle of the year – the 3rd Annual Lord of the Wind event in the warm, friendly town of Los Barriles, just an hour Northeast of Cabo. This event – happening from January 10 – 15 – has become an icon for “wind” athletes from all around the globe. Kiteboarders and Windsurfers will battle it out to prove WHO will become this year’s Lord of the Wind. Whether you’re a competitor or spectator, this year’s Lord of the Wind is an East Cape event you do not want to miss! I have been an active volunteer in the event since it’s first year. This year I will be working hard at the Finish Line clocking the athletes as they complete each of their heats. The event offers spectacular views of world class athletes, various food booths, live music, bikini contest, and beer 🙂

This year the event is sponsored by the Rotary Club of Los Barriles. The Rotary is working on Health, Education, Safety, Environment, Disaster Relief, and Community Beautification projects. Less than 20% of our local children have regular access to computers, yet they will later compete for jobs with highly computer literate students from Cabo and La Paz. In early 2013 we plan to open a small computer center in the DIF office in Los Barriles. The center will primarily be used for students after school and into the early evenings. I hope to see the education goals reached this year!

On the real estate front it is still a Buyers market in Los Barriles and the rule of thumb for success in real estate is still; BUY LOW, SELL HIGH. Now is definitely the time to BUY LOW as prices are as low as theyʼve been in years. Many airlines have direct flights from Canada and the United States, making getting here quite simple and quick. We hope to have a steady flow of American and Canadian Baby Boomers purchasing homes for retirement this winter.

Here are a few of the many amazing deals in Los Barriles, East Cape:

Lote Jon in Palo Blanco, great ocean views, power and water, flat, easy to build lot with quality building prices from $80-$150/per square foot. $55,000 USD

Lord of the Windis a perfect time to visit and an opportunity to check out some of the most desirable real estate in Mexico. I invite you to preview my website www.dede.riverasrealty.com prior to your arrival and look forward to seeing you in Los Barriles!

Coldwell Banker Riveras

Fell in love with Baja? We can help you stay! With our dedicated team and services to cover your every real estate need, we can help you bring your heart home.

Coldwell Banker Riveras, #1 Coldwell Banker office in Mexico for the past 12 years running, encompasses over 40 years of local real estate experience in the top 10 markets through the state of Baja California Sur, with offices around the state: Cabo San Lucas, San Jose del Cabo, La Ribera, Los Barriles, La Paz and Todos Santos.